Chipotle "Friend or Faux?" logo 
Want to play a game? Chipotle launches ingredient comparison experience.

DENVER – Clean labels are all the rage in the food industry, but that doesn’t mean foodservice providers are removing all additives from their foods. So, Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched an interactive digital campaign that educates consumers about ingredients used in the company’s menu offerings and those commonly used in the fast-food industry.

Here’s how it works: Consumers choose a Chipotle menu item and one of a selection of fast food menu items, and then compare and match 20 ingredients. The ‘Friend or Faux’ game features a “study guide” where players can learn about the ingredients.

“There’s been a lot of talk recently about fast food companies removing artificial ingredients from their food, but most of these announcements cover only a portion of the thousands of additives used in processed foods,” Mark Crumpacker, chief creative and development officer, explained. “Through ‘Friend or Faux,’ we are giving consumers an entertaining way to contrast the collective beauty of Chipotle’s food with the complex ingredient lists that make up many fast food and packaged food items. By engaging people in a way that makes them more curious about what they are eating, we hope they will better understand the options that are available to them.”

To sweeten the learning experience, users who complete the ingredient comparison game will receive a special buy-one-get-one mobile offer entry into a national sweepstakes. The games begin July 21.